This position is located at the Plant Materials Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in Tucson, Arizona. The incumbent will provide plant science solutions to water quality concerns, control erosion on cropland and critical areas, improve forage production and quality on pasture and rangelands, and improve wildlife habitat.

Duties

Develops study plans, designs appropriate tests and experiments, maintains and monitors plantings, collects and analyses quantitative data, interprets results, and assembles and transfers results of information to customers. Administers and conducts Plant Materials Center (PMC) studies to support plant materials agronomic plant and vegetative technology testing program and address priorities for the area served. Prepares, reviews and disseminates annual and final reports, technical notes, and other materials for internal and external customers, and their inclusion in the Field Office Technical Guide. Prepares and delivers plant materials training sessions. Provides current research-based information to external and internal customers. Assists the PMC Manager with business management functions, including the development of a long-range program plan and an annual business plan to incorporate actions to address concerns identified at the state and regional level.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
• State pesticide applicator's permit/license. Incumbent is required to obtain a State pesticide application's permit/license within one year of appointment to the position.
• Physical Demands: Regular physical exertion related to conservation work in an outdoor environment. The work requires outdoor physical activities (walking, climbing, etc.) for prolonged periods over rough terrain.
• Work Environment: Exposure to operating agricultural equipment and adverse weather conditions. Traveling improved and unimproved roads. Protective equipment is required on construction sites and when working with hazardous materials.
• Work Environment: Traveling using off-road vehicles. Use of protective equipment and training is required for operation of off-road vehicles.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Basic Requirement for the Agronomy 0471 series: Degree: Must have a Bachelor's or higher degree in agronomy; or related discipline of science that included at least 30 semester hours of course work in the basic plant sciences, including at least 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, such as those dealing with plant breeding, crop production, and soil and crop management. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of education and experience: Must have a combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, including a minimum of 15 semester hours in agronomic subjects, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. (You must submit transcripts.) Basic Requirement for the Soil Conservationist 0457 series: Degree: Must have a Bachelor's or higher degree in soil conservation or related agricultural or natural resource discipline such as agronomy, soil science, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering. The study must have included 30 semester hours in a natural resource or agricultural field, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination of education and experience: Must have a combination of education and experience: at least 30 semester hours in one or more of the disciplines as shown above, including at least 12 semester hours in a combination of soils and crops or plant science, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Of the 12 semester hours, a minimum of 3 semester hours must have been in soils and 3 semester hours in crops or plant science. (You must submit transcripts.) In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement in order to be considered: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying: GS-09 Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-09 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Delivering conservation training by presenting in meetings, tours, and demonstrations; Assisting with preparing various reports to capture work methods and results; Conducting scientific tests or experiments to gather plant science data; and Preparing test results to be shared with customers by collecting and summarizing test data. OR Education: Must have successfully completed at least two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field such as agronomy or soil conservation or natural resource discipline such as, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering or in a closely related field. Major course of study must be in a field directly related to the work of this position. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: Must have a percentage of the education and experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (Note: Only education in excess of one year (18 semester hours) is qualifying when calculating education percentage). (You must submit transcripts.) GS-11 Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-11 level, you must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or higher in Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Delivering conservation training by presenting in workshops, webinars, and demonstrations; Assisting with preparing various reports to capture work methods and results; Collaborating with experts to compile a technical guide using reports and technical notes; Conducting scientific tests or experiments to gather information related to plant material or agronomic needs; and Recommending plant science solutions, information, and technology to field staff and other customers. OR Education: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such as agronomy or soil conservation or natural resource discipline such as, forestry, agricultural education, or agricultural engineering or in a closely related field. Major course of study must be in a field directly related to the work of this position. (You must submit transcripts.) OR Combination: Must have a percentage of the education and experience as described above that totals 100% when combined. When combining education with experience, first determine total qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; then determine experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; finally add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify an applicant for that grade level. (Note: Only education in excess of two years (36 semester hours) is qualifying when calculating education percentage). (You must submit transcripts.) IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Contacts

• Address Natural Resources Conservation Service 1400 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC 20250 US
• Name: Midwest Services Branch
• Phone: 8164265706
• Email: [email protected]